Per Fas et Nefas
by RaichuTec
Summary: A sect of traditionalists are seeking to end the peace of the Eternal Calm, and they're using Baralai for their ends. Unfortunately for him... Rikku is his only hope.
1. Prologue: By Fair Means or Foul

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy characters and settings belong to SquareEnix. Just borrowing them for a bit and I'll put them away when I'm done.  
  
Per Fas et Nefas  
by RaichuTec  
  
Prologue:   
Bevelle's activity had only increased since the end of Vegnagun, and the lines that once divided them from the Youth League and the rest of the world slackened and eventually fell away. Tense alliances gradually became lasting bonds and old traditions gained new meanings. Yevon was gone. A thousand years of prayer to the statues of Fayth and High Summoners alike had to be replaced with something new.   
  
New Yevon tried to provide for some of it. The older generation, along with some of the more conservative youth, found themselves lost in the chaos after the Eternal Calm. And fell further into that struggle to find meaning as everything changed and old traditions crumbled to dust. Perhaps they would have gone back to war again, in the attempt to arise from the ashes with an identity in their hands.  
  
But for the second time, the only living High Summoner, Yuna, had managed to gather people under the same banner. To fix the lines of communication and break down the barriers they all erected. And then to help solve a tragedy left to fester for a thousand years and help a few others along the way.  
  
Baralai would always admire her for that. To somehow get in and fix the problem without getting her hands dirty in the process and walk away still as pure as when she arrived. She never had to stay, though. To remain behind to ensure that her repairs remained intact, to keep everything held together even tenuously. Perhaps that was her secret.   
  
In the meanwhile, Baralai had many tenuous strings to hold together and somehow make sure they were still tied together at the end of the day. The peace after Vegnagun made it easier, at least. Less tension in the air, people more willing to work toward mutual goals. But it never lasted. You couldn't just erase a thousand years of history without a struggle. Every change had to be resisted first, and then embraced fervently and eventually an even balance could be established with time. The trouble was that there was nothing to struggle against, no great evil to unite anyone. And people wanted that gap filled, someone to play the patsy for them so they had somewhere to lay their burdens and complaints.  
  
For years, Sin played that role, and the Al Bhed to a lesser degree. Then the Guado took up the mantle after Sin's defeat along with the division between factions. Now that there was nothing to declare evil, tension was slowly rising again. A never ending cycle.  
  
He paused in his thoughts, rubbing the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes to take them off the pages he'd been reading. More reports and proposals to go over, sign where appropriate or reject when necessary. There was restlessness among some of the members, he knew. They missed the days where Bevelle was in control, and bemoaned the slow dismantling of the secrets below. Via Infinito had to be cleared out. The temple sealed away. Other secrets had to be carefully found and neutralized. A veritable collection of machina and a hoard of plans left to gather dust. Nothing as horrible as Vegnagun, thankfully, but still so much firepower it made Baralai wonder if they would have just destroyed the world, had it not been for Sin's unconventional solution to such wanton power.  
  
All of it could be used to re-establish Bevelle as a world power, some argued. It was folly to destroy it. Once Baralai might have agreed, when he still saw Nooj as an enemy and used everything at his disposal to undermine his former comrade. But he had no love for the secrets he had to keep back then, or for the methods Bevelle and Yevon employed. Part of their move forward was to be rid of their negative past.  
  
But it never stopped the complaining. Thankfully it was a small group that nipped at his heels like pups demanding attention. They just seemed to bark the loudest, despite their low numbers. Arguing with him during council meetings, sending him correspondence after correspondence with alternate proposals for some of the machina or other things found in the depths of Bevelle's labyrinths. Reasons why they should continue to use fiends to protect sacred places. Every excuse in the world to resist the inevitable and with each proposal there came a definite rejection. Baralai held onto his position as Praetor by any means necessary, and the letters stacked in front of him gave more than enough impetus to continue doing so.  
  
The knock at the door was greeted with a relieved smile. Any excuse to delay his reading was welcome at the moment. It might mean a late night, but he'd deal with it then. "Come in, please."  
  
He turned as the door swung open and admitted Rialdo. Standing well over six feet, he was an anomaly among the New Yevonites. Half Ronso and half Guado, it was difficult for him to find his place in the world. Yevon had provided him with comfort thanks to the former Maester from Gagazet, and he had been fanatically devoted to the order right up till its last breath with the winds of change extinguishing the need for it. He stood out in any crowd, with his feline features melting into gangly limbs. His forehead boasted only a small, rather stubby looking horn as well. A disgrace among both the Ronso and the Guado. Sadly, he had not taken well to the changes to Bevelle and was one of the strongest opponents to the destruction of Bevelle secrets as they were discovered.  
  
Baralai's smile nearly faded. He anticipated either an argument or another difficult conversation with the half-ronso.  
  
Rising to his feet, he bowed at nearly the same moment, both of them circling their arms before rising. It was an old tradition that would probably last for many years to come. Baralai had to tilt his head back to really be able to look Rialdo in the eyes. They regarded him calmly, though a pensive undercurrent hinted at inner tensions. "Praetor Baralai. I wanted to have a word with you, when it's convenient. I took the liberty of having tea brought in for us as well. Am I here at a bad time?"   
  
Polite, Rialdo's voice carried a soft purr combined with the Guado ability to enunciate. It was nearly a beautiful baritone and sometimes Baralai wondered what it might be like to hear him sing the Hymn of the Faith. A pity that they were always so at odds. "No, it isn't a bad time. I welcome an interruption at the moment and tea sounds lovely. Please, come in and have a seat, Rialdo."  
  
Formalities completed, Rialdo bowed one more time and settled himself into one of the lounge chairs found haphazardly placed within the Praetor's office. Baralai simply twisted his desk chair around and sat down again, just as a young priestess entered, the tray in her arms laden with tea and its compliments. While he was sure he was in for another round of tense negotiations with the half-ronso, Baralai still welcomed the opportunity to get away from the paperwork for just a little while. Besides, he could always hope to steer the conversation away from volatile subjects for awhile.  
  
"I'm not actually here to argue, Praetor," Rialdo finally spoke as the tea cups were handed out to each of them. "I'm here just to... talk. You've made our course of action rather resolute. And I think perhaps a compromise might be better than just trying to stand our ground."  
  
"It depends on your idea of compromise," Baralai replied calmly. He stirred the tea idly, studying Rialdo's expression and mulling over his opening words. Everything in Bevelle was a song and a dance and you had to learn to read between the lines if you wanted to survive. "Rialdo, I am impressed that the Traditionalists are so resolute. It is unfortunate to me that I must take such a hard line. I know that you're intentions are good."  
  
"But good intentions still bring us Sin," the half-ronso countered. It was something Baralai had been quoted saying on many an occasion.   
  
He chuckled quietly, "Touche." The tea wasn't too hot, either, he discovered. It tasted of honey and a hint of cinnamon. "I'm interested to hear this compromise of yours, Rialdo. I won't make promises, but I will always listen."  
  
"I'm afraid it's more of a necessity for you to compromise than us." Rialdo put his cup down after that, rising quietly from his chair. "While it was suggested that we simply have you assassinated, Praetor, I knew that would be folly. Therefore, instead I'm afraid we must use your good name for awhile."  
  
There was a definite shift in the atmosphere, then.   
  
"Rialdo..." The change to his tone of voice immediately alarmed Baralai, instinctively checking his distance to the exit and making note of anything he could use for a weapon. He had long been mired in the work of a leader, but that didn't mean he let his body go idle.   
  
And Rialdo knew that. "Please, Praetor, it will only be a moment more. I promise, I will allow no harm to come to you. And in the new world, when it comes, I will make sure you have your place."  
  
Baralai rose to his feet slowly, glancing down once at the tea and realizing his folly. Already his mind had begun to swim, numbness spreading down his arms and legs till his fingers and toes began to tingle. By the time darkness finally saw fit to drag him under, he'd already begun to fall, caught at the last moment by the strong arms of the half-ronso.   
  
He hadn't even the mind or ability to ask what this new world would entail. 


	2. Rikku to the Rescue?

Chapter 1: Rikku to the Rescue?  


  
"Rikku!"  
  
She ignored him the first time.  
  
"RIKKU!"  
  
Unfortunately she couldn't ignore him for much longer, since she knew that Brother would simply keep screaming her name until she finally went in to see what the matter was. She adjusted her sunglasses and gathered up her towel and beachbag with a lamented sigh, "Dammit, Brother, I'm trying to sunbathe, can't you just leave a girl in peace for a little while?"  
  
Stepping down from the deck, she hopped onto the lift to carry her to the bridge of the Celsius just as he was at it again, calling her name over the loud speaker with an increasingly frustrated tone of voice. He was just about to really start in when she emerged at the top of the stairs, hand on hip and expression wilting.  
  
"There you are! How come you don't answer when I call, huh? No respect, you never have any respect!" he ranted, a fist waving around inanely. As usual, Buddy was ignoring the entire scene, relaxed in his seat with his arms crossed behind his head. He'd picked up some mini-earphones from Djose a year ago and there was rarely a moment he wasn't listening to music through them. It drowned out Brother's constant ramblings, he claimed.   
  
Rikku often envied him that. "Well if you'd stop acting like I'm at your beck and call and be patient for two seconds, maybe I would."   
  
"You can tell you're siblings. You never stop fighting," Shinra observed from his station, not even looking up from whatever project he was working on.   
  
"Oh you just be quiet over there," was the only counter Brother could come up with. It was true, there was no denying it. Since the days of sphere hunting ended and Yuna left to settle in Besaid with Tidus, the Gullwings had pretty much disbanded. Paine left for the Youth League. Something about helping out Nooj, and finding a future for herself now that she'd dealt with her past.   
  
It left Rikku feeling terribly lonely. The only girl amongst way too much testosterone, even if Shinra was only a kid. Or so he liked to say whenever he didn't have any other response.   
  
"Helllloooo," she called to get Brother's attention again, "So why did you call me down here, huh?"  
  
It took Brother a moment to gather his thoughts again. Rikku swore she could even see the gears in his head turning. Slowly, at that. "Oh come on! Spit it out already!" Her patience always wore thin, and doubly so with her brother.  


"Ok, ok! You use some of that patience you're always yelling at me about," Brother snapped back at her and then raised his hands before another argument could break out between them. "We got a call from Paine. She wants to talk to you about something in Bevelle but she won't tell me what. No respect from her, either."   
  
"Paine? Really?" Rikku immediately brightened up. It'd been a few months since the Gullwings had much time to say hello to old friends. With their days of sphere hunting behind them, they'd instead become a service dedicated to rooting out fiends. It was a profession that would also likely die out in the near future. Fewer and fewer fiends were seen to be wandering Spira, perhaps because fewer violent deaths from Sin resulted in unsent. Some predicted that they'd even vanish from the ruins of Zanarkand, eventually. But there were still plenty running around at the moment, and that meant work for the Gullwings.   
  
With a renewed bounce to her step, she headed straight for the communications setup. Shinra's commspheres were all the rage, and now just about everyone had them. You could even switch little channels on them, too, and make conversations more private. Gippal had a hand in it, though Shinra didn't like to speak about that, too much.  
  
Sure enough, there was Paine's face there, sitting at her desk at the Youth League Headquarters, looking as blasé as ever. "Dr. P! Wow, it's been ages."  
  
"Rikku..." Paine grimaced at the old nickname, "Please, stop that."  
  
"Oh, sorry," she giggled, "I suppose you have to be all respectable now, huh."  
  
"Hardly that, just... oh nevermind. Look, I have a request. Just something simple and I'm sure you can use a break from your fiend hunting."  
  
"Oooh, like what?" Fiend hunting was dirty work, and Rikku hated doing it alone or alongside Buddy or Brother. It wasn't like the old days.  
  
"Can you just check in on Baralai at Bevelle? Nooj and I are a little concerned about things. He took ill about two months ago, and doesn't seem to be getting any better. There's rumor that some group that calls themselves the Traditionalists has him isolated and isn't letting anyone speak to him right now. Nooj is calling bullshit, and so am I."  
  
"Oh... so, you just want me to talk to him, make sure he's ok?"  
  
"I want you to make sure he isn't dead, Rikku." Paine could be exceedingly blunt when she wanted to be.  
  
"Um, dead?"   
  
"It's Bevelle, Rikku. I don't care if they're claiming to have changed, it's still the city of secrets and intrigue. So don't dig too deep. Just see if you can actually find Baralai and confirm things."  
  
"Ok," Rikku chirped, "I can do that."  
  
"Great, report back when you do. We'll pay you whatever your normal fee is for fiend hunting. Oh, and Rikku..."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Don't do anything stupid, ok?"  


"Yeah, yeah, don't do anything stupid," Rikku sighed as the commsphere turned black, cutting off communication.   


"So what's the news, huh?" Brother asked, crossing his arms and trying hard not to be impatient about it all. Even Buddy had pulled his earphones off and tilted his head back to listen.  


Leaping up to stand on the chair itself, Rikku threw up her hands excitedly, "We're headed for Bevelle, everyone! We've got some spying to do!"  


*****************  


  



	3. Not So Covert Operations

Chapter 2: Not So Covert Operations  


Even Bevelle had been forced to bend to the winds of change. Once a mountain of religious structure and propriety, now it was slowly succumbing to something more relaxed and not quite so rigid. Rikku remembered her first visit to the city and how everyone stared at her, an Al Bhed daring to roam around in their sacred territory.   
  
Now, as she disembarked from the Celsius, she realized the long walkway was actually rather busy with a lot of colorful individuals. Everything from Ronso out on their journeys to discover their life paths to Al Bhed openly discussing city politics alongside some of the New Yevonite guardsmen. Completely cordially. It was something Rikku would have bet a million gil on never happening. Ever. Good thing she wasn't a gambling girl.   
  
"Remember, Paine said only to find out if Baralai is alive. No stupid tricks," Brother reminded through the commlink. Rikku rolled her eyes, but knew better than to say anything back to him. It would result in another drawn out argument and have everyone staring at her oddly as she seemed to be speaking to herself.  
  
Instead, she took off down the runway at a light jog. Snippets of conversation caught her ears as she drifted past. Everything from someone wondering about inflation prices on household machina to personal discussions that made no sense. No one seemed to be discussing their sick Praetor. She wasn't sure if that should make her worry or not.  
  
Slowing down as she approached the temple doors, Rikku already noted a difference inside the courtyard and in the street outside. There was always a sense of profound silence here, priests and priestesses meandering about, formally dressed in so much clothing Rikku felt overheated just looking at them. Somewhere a low chant continually played, further influencing a palpable asceticism. She felt hushed and shrunken, chastised without anyone raising a finger to her. This was only one of many reasons why she disliked Bevelle.   


The guard at the door to the temple actually smiled at her. While she wasn't as famous as Yunie, Rikku's name and face had gotten around, too. She wriggled her fingers at him in greeting, "Hi. I'm actually here to talk to Praetor Baralai. He knows me, see and um, I was in town and thought I'd say hi."  
  
The guard's smile nearly vanished, barely hanging on nervously. "Well, Miss Rikku, I'm afraid our Praetor has been very ill lately. I don't know if anyone will let you see him..." And from the sound of it, he didn't even want to let her past to inevitable disappointment.  
  
But Rikku was not about to let that stop her. "Really? Well, then maybe he just needs a friend to help nurse him back to health! Come on, please?"   
  
It worked. It always worked when she used the mooky eyes on people. He relented with a sigh and gestured for her to go on in. "I hope so, Miss. Actually, I pray so."  
  
"Well that was strange," she muttered to herself as the doors closed behind her. The temple itself was a bit brighter than she remembered. No longer quite so mysterious and misty as it had been when she and Yuna and Paine visited it to stop Vegnagun. It was still a tangle of hallways and twisted corridors and lifts that went in all different directions, though. She knew she'd need a guide to find her way to the Praetor.  
  
Though the first priest she cornered to ask about talking to Baralai gave her the same reaction as the guard. A nervous expression, smile lingering only by habit and containing no mirth whatsoever. "Well, Miss Rikku, there's a bit of trouble there. I can ask but I warn, it's not likely. Our Praetor is very ill. We've all been warned away from him for now."  
  
"Please ask? I'm a friend of his, he'd want to see his friends, wouldn't he?" It made logical sense to Rikku and she even made sure to give the priest her best, most winning smile, complete with dimples.   
  
It might have worked, save for a voice that broke the stillness with a low growl. "Who is so forward as to ask to see our Praetor while he is ailing?" Rikku turned and craned her neck to get a good look at the person behind the voice.   
  
She'd never seen anything like him. First thinking him to be Ronso, she soon realized that his blood had to be mixed. His limbs and body were too gangly to be full Ronso and rather than having a mane or a horn, he had more of a bushy quality to the hair on his head and a very small point against his forehead. "Uh... I do!" It was all she could think to say. Composure quickly returning, she bounded up to the half-breed, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet. "I'm Rikku and I'm a friend of the Praetor's. If he's sick, well a friend should be taking care of him and I volunteer to do it!"  
  
The half-ronso chuckled briefly, reaching out with a hand that half resembled a paw to rest it on top of her head. The weight of it nearly buckled her under, ducking slightly while she looked up meekly. "Rikku, yes, I remember you. A friend of the High Summoner, and a... guardian of hers." His voice was far more eloquent than any Ronso she'd ever heard before, his enunciation perfect, but his tone was condescending even sneering at her. "Al Bhed, yes? Well, that explains your lack of etiquette. Our Praetor is unavailable at the moment. Even to those he would call... friends."  
  
Rikku took a step back, shaking her head free from the hand. "Hey, just who do you think you are, bucko, huh? Who are you to get to speak for Baralai, anyway?" She set her hands on her hips, glaring upwards. Others exchanged nervous glances in her peripheral view. Who was this guy that they were all so cowed by? It only made her angrier to think that he was bullying everyone into listening to him. "Where is he? I want to talk to him and I'm not leaving until I do." Complete with a stomp of her foot.  
  
From the way everyone was looking at her, you'd think she'd just mortally offended the half-Ronso and he was about to extract due retribution on her. In fact, she began to question her bold words as she saw those hands clenching into fists. Still, she stood her ground, gaze resolute as her hands fit onto her hips. This was one girl who was not about to be intimidated!  
  
"I am Rialdo, Miss Rikku, and by Praetor Baralai's own command, I am in charge until his health has returned. When you learn to speak with respect, then we'll see about allowing you in our Praetor's presence. Remove Lady Rikku from the temple please and do not be allowing her back inside."  
  
And that was that. Rialdo turned without allowing Rikku any opportunity to reply and walked away again, his entourage shuffling behind him. The other priests looked to her, abashed but entreating. Their eyes spoke the words they couldn't. Please, don't argue, just leave.  
  
"Oh man," she sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. The direct approach had been a complete and total bomb. If Paine and Yunie were here, they'd both have managed to find a way in, she was just sure of it. "What a bully. How do you guys put up with him, huh?"  
  
"He was given the power by Praetor Baralai," one of them replied softly, "While we may wonder why he gave it to Rialdo, we do not question it. Such is our loyalty to him."  
  
She perked up again to hear that reply, a finger tapping against her lower lip, "Huh. Wow, Baralai is sure lucky to have people like you. Ok, I'll go. Just try to slip word to him that I was here, ok?"  
  
The priest smiled at her weakly, "I will try, Miss Rikku. I will try."  


*********************  



	4. Cloak and Dagger?

Author's note: For people asking me to please lower my vocabulary, I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request.  
(PS: That means no. Or, in AOL Speak: OMGLOLSTFUBBQ!)  
  
Chapter 3: Cloak and Dagger?

Not only had the guards escorted her out of the temple, they'd even seen fit to leave her at the edge of the city. Rialdo's orders apparently were to make sure she left, and then not to let her come back at all. So it left her with no other option than to return to the ship and mull the events over and over again in her head. She couldn't get back into Bevelle, she hadn't actually seen Baralai, and despite racking her brain, she had no idea how she could sneak back in to accomplish her mission. Now all she could do was pace back and forth along the bridge of the Celsius.   
  
"Oooh, this just... sucks!" she finally exclaimed in her frustration.   
  
"Maybe you should just call Paine and tell her what happened," Buddy suggested, "If they won't let anyone in to see Baralai, chances are pretty good he's probably not breathing anymore."  
  
"Don't say that!" she exclaimed, leaping over the rail and pointing at Buddy uselessly, "He's gotta still be alive. I just have to think of some way to get in there to find him."  
  
"Hey," Shinra interrupted, "There's a private call on the commsphere. It's Isaaru, says he wants to talk to you, Rikku."  
  
Isaaru had been in Bevelle since Zanarkand was taken over by the monkeys and her father's business venture had failed utterly and completely. In fact, it was said that he'd become Baralai's right hand and if he were on the commsphere wanting to talk to Rikku, she knew for certain that he had heard about her visit. "Oh great, maybe he knows about Baralai!"  
  
It was strange to see his visage through the commsphere's view. Rather than wear the normal robes she'd always seen him in, he had donned a gray cloak that covered him entirely and obscured his face into shadows. For a moment, Rikku wasn't even sure it was him. Not until she heard his voice greet her in a hushed whisper. "Rikku?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied, finding herself whispering right back. "I guess you heard about me, huh."  
  
Isaaru chuckled softly and pulled back the hood slightly so she could see his features. His smile was wry, but warm all the same. Some things would never change. "Yes, you've got the temple in a tizzy. There's a lot of priests questioning Rialdo right now. He's rather busy with damage control."  
  
"Good." She wrinkled her nose in distain. "He was being mean. Hey, have you actually seen Baralai?"  
  
"No, and that's why I came here to talk to you. I don't have long before I should be back at the temple so just listen a moment. Rialdo doesn't let anyone see Baralai, not even me. It's been two months and the most we see are signed edicts from the Praetor. We've analyzed the handwriting, and either it's his or they have an expert forgery artist. But it leaves us at a loss, since we have no way of proving that Rialdo isn't acting in the name of the Praetor. And they're doing things that I know Baralai would be directly opposed to. Things that are so secret, only the Traditionalists are allowed to know about them."  
  
"Like what?" Rikku was enthralled, eyes wide as she hunched over at the commsphere station like a child hearing scary stories around a campfire.   
  
Isaaru chuckled at her, "I don't know, I'm not a Traditionalist. So, I'm not privy to whatever dark secrets they're keeping. But they've stopped all the clean up processes going on in the depths below the temple and I know Baralai was resolute in completing that. I've tried a few times to get to the Praetor's room, but they've got it fairly well guarded. And I'm too well known. I'm already skirting being excommunicated from New Yevon. The only reason Rialdo hasn't done so is because of you, I think. People are talking now, and removing me would look too suspicious."  
  
"So what do we do?"   
  
"Well, tonight, you meet me at the temple entrance. I can get you inside and from there you just might be able to succeed where others have failed."  
  
Rikku sighed heavily, "But, Isaaru, I can't even get into the city now. How can I get to the temple?"  
  
"Oh, I think you're resourceful enough to figure that out on your own," he replied with a wink, "You're the thief, not me. See you tonight, Rikku."  
  
She blinked at him, "Hey!" But, the sphere promptly went dark and she had no time to retort. Besides, it was an accurate statement. She wore her thief dress sphere constantly. That didn't stop her from sniffing disdainfully anyway, arms folding over her chest with indignation.   
  
"So are we heading back to Bevelle?" Brother asked. Rikku pushed away from the commsphere console and nearly collided with him, he'd been close enough to probably hear everything Isaaru said.  
  
"Not yet, Brother. Not until tonight!"  
  
Getting into the city was easier than Rikku thought it would be. Under the light of a halfmoon, she'd managed to sneak past the guards at the gate without them even realizing she was there and once actually in Bevelle itself, she could move about freely. The streets were fairly empty, but those she passed hardly spared her a glance, not when she wore the white mage outfit, which covered her nicely. It had been Brother's suggestion, and despite the fact that she considered him pretty dense most of the time, even she had to admit it was a brilliant idea.   
  
Getting to the temple was a bit nerve wracking, constantly on the lookout for guards or anyone who might try to stop her. But there was no one outside the temple doors at all, not even Isaaru, very odd for this time of night in front of a structure that almost always had someone there to keep out the riffraff.   
  
So when the doors abruptly began opening, she nearly shrieked, clapping her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound. There was no where to run to, and no place to hide, not when the courtyard itself was wide open and without decor other than the mosaic-tiled floor.   
  
Thankfully, it was Isaaru's brother, Maroda, who stood in the doorway, silently gesturing for her to slip inside.  
  
"You scared me!" she whispered, sliding the hood of her outfit back.   
  
"Sorry," Maroda closed the doors again as she came inside, chuckling softly, "Isaaru asked me to meet you here and let you in. He's keeping people busy at the moment to give you some time."  
  
"That's pretty cool of him, tell him I said thanks." She shimmered for just a brief moment, shaking off the white mage outfit for her standard thief. It felt better and itched less. Not to mention it wasn't so hot. "What about you? Are you coming with?"  
  
"I can't," he replied with a shake of his head, "They know me here, and if you and I are seen together, it'll spell bad news. I can show you the way to get to the Praetor's room, though."   
  
"Lead the way," she beamed. She had no idea how she planned to sneak through the corridors of the temple but she was sure that just knowing the way would help and she'd figure out the rest as she went. Maroda lead her up to the lift, the two of them riding up till they reached the highest balcony. From there it was a dizzying time getting through a maze of corridors made worse by having to double back on occasion thanks to a Traditionalist guard making rounds. Eventually he came to a stop and gestured toward a long corridor that came to a t-shaped intersection at the opposite end.   
  
"This is as far as I can take you. Isaaru's going to need me back soon to avoid suspicions. Take that corridor to the end, and go right. From there it's a straight shot to the Praetor's room all the way at the end. But watch yourself. There are guards outside the suite, and inside as well."  
  
Rikku's brows furrowed as she gave it some thought. "Ok. I'll figure it out. Somehow, I _will_ get into that suite and find out what's going on. You tell Isaaru not to worry."  
  
"Thank you, Rikku. I'm sure you will." He smiled and patted her shoulder and then took off at a light jog back toward the main temple, leaving Rikku completely on her own.  
  
She settled her hands on her hips, staring down the corridor thoughtfully. This was going to take more than her just sneaking around stealthily. She was going to have to form a plan, somehow. If Paine and Yunie were around, surely they would have come up with something together...  
  
"Oh get it together, girl," she said aloud, "Yunie and Paine aren't here. You're on your own. Think!"   
  
It was about that time that her eyes lighted on the first door nearby. There was a sign on it that read: Linens. Rikku stared at it blankly for a long moment, and then suddenly smiled slyly, reaching out to test the doorknob. When it proved to be unlocked, she slipped inside and shut the door behind her.  
  
****************************


	5. Sleeping Praetor

Author's Note: Thank you, everyone, who has encouraged me to continue using my vocabulary. :) I appreciate your support. This is truly starting to get exciting for me as it's really taking shape. I hope you continue to be as intrigued by it as I am.  
  
Chapter 4: Sleeping Praetor

Rikku never expected it to be so easy to get into the Praetor's suite.   
  
The inside of the linen closet was filled with everything from sheets and bedding to uniforms and towels. She grabbed the first robe that looked to be about her size and tried it on, wondering how in the world Bevellians could wander around, dressed from head to toe without getting hot. She managed to find a priestess cap discarded on a bottom shelf and tucked her hair up into it after a quick repair of a sequin strip half peeled off. And with a handful of towels in her arms, she trundled down the hallway, trying not to trip on the hem of her robes.  
  
"Maybe I should have picked a shorter one," she muttered to herself. The stack of towels in her arms was just tall enough to reach her nose, leaving her able to see where she was going while still offering some protection from anyone who might recognize her. No one even paid her a glance in passing, except the priest who stopped and offered to help her collect the pile of towels when she finally tripped and fell right at the t-section Maroda mentioned to her before he left.  
  
"Careful, Sister," he chided lightly, "I'm surprised at how quickly this request was responded to. Or perhaps you are merely thoughtful for our Praetor? Go in peace."  
  
Well, well, well. So she was actually filling a request unknowingly? What luck! "Go in peace," she echoed dutifully, because it sounded right. Giddy, she had to reign her enthusiasm in for just a little bit longer. Down at the far end of the corridor, she could already see the guards standing in front of the door. She boldly shuffled right up to them and gestured to the towels.  
  
"That was fast," one of them commented. For a moment, Rikku worried he might get suspicious, but he just shrugged and gestured for her to go through the doors.  
  
The Praetor's suite was more than one room, a parlor that connected to at least three other rooms. Two of them were closed and a third appeared to lead into a large bathroom from what Rikku could glimpse in a few seconds. Like anywhere else in Bevelle, it was elaborately decorated with murals and statues of various Yevonite design. A large fireplace to her right was surrounded by chairs and to her left there was a gilded mirror reflecting everything, right above a stand holding vases filled with silk flowers.   
  
She was not alone. Standing near one of the closed doors, Rialdo spoke to another Traditionalist. Their conversation paused as she entered, the half-ronso staring at her for a long moment. Rikku felt her palms begin to sweat. Would he recognize her anyway? Was all of this in vain? Why was he even here, didn't Maroda say that Isaaru was trying to buy her time?  
  
"It's about time people started obeying orders so quickly, take the towels into the bed chamber."  
  
Rikku saved her sigh of relief until after she'd passed the pair of them into the quiet of the bed chamber. Dim lighting ambiently silhouetted the objects of the room, leaving it just light enough to see by. Rikku snuck forward, leaving the towels atop one of the dressers to get a closer look at the bed, all the while keeping her ears tuned to the light conversation going on in the parlor. She didn't have much time, she knew, before they'd wonder why she hadn't put the towels down and walked right out again.  
  
Baralai lay beneath the coverlets, eyes closed and so still that for a moment Rikku wondered if he really were dead, and they were just keeping the body for the time being to avoid suspicion. Leaning over him, she reached out to touch his forehead, relieved to feel heat against her palm, though not enough to indicate a fever. Her fingers strayed to his cheek, not sensing any abnormal heat there either. He finally moved, then, breath drawn in softly and his body shifting as he turned his head toward her. Rikku withdrew her hand, shoulders slumping forward in relief. He was alive, at least. She only wished he would wake up so she could talk to him.  
  
Voices in the parlor suddenly got a little louder. Rikku leapt back from the bed, quickly shuffling over to the door in case they were wondering why she was dallying. Cracking it open just slightly, one green eye peered out to watch. Rialdo's back was to her, as was the other Traditionalist with him. A third had entered, just then bowing in obligatory Yevonite fashion before reporting, "The meeting has concluded, Consul Rialdo. Isaaru has refused the edict, just as you predicted."  
  
"Excellent," Rialdo purred, "I knew he would not disappoint me. He's been a thorn for too long, trying to enforce Baralai's will. At last, we can finally be rid of him."  
  
"But Consul," the man beside him said, "Is it wise to make such a move yet? Isaaru is the one that everyone looks up to. We may lose support if we oust him so soon."  
  
Rikku glanced down to see Rialdo's tail flicking in agitation. "Kellock, the best way to scatter our detractors is to remove any leadership they may have heading them. Isaaru is in the way. The faster we remove him, the smoother our own plans will continue. They may talk at first, but they will have no choice but to obey. We have proof and documentation, Isaaru has nothing but rumor and conjecture."  
  
"Very well," Kellock said quietly, bowing slightly to show acquiescence. Rialdo's demeanor shifted, calming at the other's gesture of a bared throat. While he might have only been half-ronso, Rikku realized he was just as pack oriented. Only his pack was Yevon.  
  
All three of them left the suite, then. Rikku could hardly believe her luck. Had they completely forgotten about her? They must have, since no one else came in and the guards remained standing there by the door, looking bored and half asleep. She closed the door quietly and pulled off the hat with a sigh of relief as her braids finally cascaded down her shoulders and back. "Wow. That was incredibly easy."  
  
"Rikku?" a voice called softly from the bed. Baralai struggled to sit up, giving up to just prop himself on his elbows as she rushed over to hop onto the side of the bed.   
  
"Shhhh, yeah, it's me. But there's guards outside the doors here, so quiet," she whispered. "So what's the deal, huh? Are you sick or not?"  
  
Baralai didn't reply right away, taking a moment to gather his wits. Even in the dim lighting, she could tell that his eyes weren't focused properly. "You were drugged, weren't you."  
  
"Still am." He blinked a few times and turned to look at her, squinting a moment till his eyes finally focused. "You shouldn't be here, you're putting yourself in grave danger, Rikku."  
  
"Psh," she replied, lifting her chin slightly, "Paine sent me here to make sure you're not dead. I couldn't turn down a favor to a friend, you know. Besides, I can't leave you here like this."  
  
Baralai chuckled at her, finally able to sit up without falling back against the pillows again, "It's certainly not very dignified. I'm not so sure I can go anywhere with you, though. How long has this been going on, to your knowledge?"  
  
"Two months, Baralai," she replied softly, expression turning solicitous.  
  
"Two months," he mused, eyes closing briefly, "Two months for their mad schemes. I knew it had been awhile but... Yevon, two months?"  
  
"Exactly, and that's why I can't just leave you here," she said with a nod of her head. "So that means you have to get up now, so we can figure out a way to escape, together. Cause if they get rid of Isaaru, I don't think they'll want to keep you around much longer."  


"Get rid of Isaaru?" Baralai's voice sounded mildly alarmed, "No, Rikku, they won't kill me, they need me. But if Isaaru is in--"   


He was cut off by the sound of the door opening in the parlor and the muffled voice of Kellock speaking to the guards followed by footfalls growing closer to the bed chamber. Rikku looked around quickly for somewhere to hide herself, knowing that if she were caught she'd have a hard time fast talking her way out again.   


"Rikku, the wardrobe," Baralai pointed out, falling back against the pillows and closing his eyes. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted the huge, chestnut wardrobe at the wall past the foot of the bed. With the door already beginning to creak open, she managed to pull herself in at the last moment, breathing a silent sigh of relief from within.   


*************************  



	6. Escape From the Temple

Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. Hopefully I won't make a habit out of that.  
  
Chapter 5: Escape from the Temple.

Rikku held a hand over her nose to resist the urge to sneeze inside Baralai's wardrobe. It wasn't that it was musty, too much, but she was surrounded by his clothing, and it all smelled faintly of some kind of soap that she didn't recognize and a faint tinge of sandalwood. It made her nose itch. She found herself mostly pressed against the door, not really having time to burrow back between the robes stored within. But it also gave her a better chance to put her ear against the wardrobe door and listen to what went on outside.   
  
She could hear Kellock shuffling around the room, and the sound of something zipping either closed or open. What was he doing in there? What would Baralai do? She furrowed her brows and listened for anything else she could hear and finally gave in to her growing curiosity, pushing the door open just slightly. She could barely see the edge of the bed, and Kellock's robes. He moved out of her field of vision briefly and she opened it a little bit more to see him return to bed with what looked like a sharp needle in his hand.   
  
At that point, Rikku couldn't sit still any longer, not if he was going to use that thing on Baralai! "Hey!" she called, just softly enough to get his attention and not carry far enough for the guards outside to hear. Pushing the door open completely, she leapt out of the wardrobe, fully intent on taking Kellock out so he wouldn't be able to hurt the Praetor.  
  
She would valiantly defend the Praetor! Well, she might have, except instead she fell flat on her face, having tripped on the hem of the Yevonite robe she'd neglected to pull off earlier. For a moment, everything went perfectly still and Rikku was just sure she'd made the fatal mistake. 

Glancing up from the floor, she laughed nervously as Kellock stared at her in startled bewilderment. "Whoops. Um, hi."  
  
"You're that girl..." he trailed off uncertainly, "Yes, the one that Rialdo turned away at the door. How in the world did you get in here?"  
  
"Well," she replied as she picked herself up, peeling out of the robe as she did so. Thank goodness they used zippers on some of these. She couldn't imagine trying to tug it over her head. "That is top secret stuff, Mister. And what are you doing to Baralai, huh?"  
  
Kellock regarded her for only a heartbeat before he sharply turned toward the doors. Rikku braced herself, knowing he was going to call for the guards now and she would have to somehow fight her way out. But before she could even reach for her weapons, Baralai sat up abruptly and wrapped some of the sheets around the priest's throat, pulling him down to the bed to hold him there and cut off his air supply until he finally stopped thrashing.  
  
Silence filled the room after one last, choked sound burbled from Kellock and his body finally went limp. Rikku relaxed her stance, walking slowly to the bed as Baralai breathed in a sigh of relief and slumped back against the headboard. He looked so wan, the effort to subdue the priest draining him of what little energy he'd managed to recover. "Is... is he dead?"  
  
"No," Baralai replied, "Merely passed out. I don't think I have the strength to kill him." Rikku wasn't so sure about that, Kellock looked like he wasn't ever going to get up again. "Rikku, you must get out. I can't have them finding you here."  
  
"Oh no you don't!" she reached over and grabbed his arm, tugging him over and out of the bed, "I am taking you with me if I have to carry you myself!"  
  
With a laugh, he allowed her to help him up. "I should probably... get into my robes though, Rikku." At which point she realized they'd left him in a long nightshirt, and nothing else.   
  
"Oh... oh my," she stuttered, finally turning away from him. Already she could feel the heat in her cheeks, indicating that she was massively blushing. "Um, I'll just stand here for a little bit and you can get dressed but don't take too long about it."

Resolute, she stood there while listening to him move around behind her, except once where she thought he had stumbled, turning her head to catch a glimpse of him pulling a shirt over his head. Just a momentary look at a muscular, tanned chest and then she forced herself to look away again. Her face felt even hotter after that. Why was she blushing over this, anyway? It wasn't as if she hadn't seen male chests before, not when it was practically tradition among the Al Bhed. "Are you done yet? God, how do you get into all of that stuff anyway?" He always did wear a lot more clothing than she ever thought was necessary. All Bevellians did.  
  
"Talent," Baralai replied, "It's safe to turn around now. Promise."  
  
Rikku turned around slowly, covering her eyes with one hand and peeking through them shyly as she finally faced the Praetor again. Baralai had dressed in his usual Yevonite robes, nearly covered completely from chin to feet. She lowered her hand with a little huff of air and asked the question that had been on her mind for most of her time in the temple, "Don't you ever get hot in that?"  
  
"Sometimes," he replied, "But we can contemplate that later. For now, I think we should get out of here if you're so determined to take me with you."  
  
"Well, yes, but... I'm not sure how we'll do this."  
  
Baralai chuckled at her softly, "Rikku, this temple is full of secrets. If we can get past the guards in the parlor, then I know of a passage that may carry us out of here quietly."  
  
But getting past the guards, that was the problem. Rikku tapped her chin thoughtfully, padding over to the door quietly to open it just slightly and get a look outside. The guards still stood at either side of the door out of the Praetor's suite, both still as bored and sleepy looking as the first time she looked. "Hmm, I may have an idea. Think they'll come in here if you call for them, Baralai?"  
  
"It seems probable," he replied, squinting one eye at her while likely forming theories on her plans. "Though it's risky, the could just as easily run to find Rialdo."  
  
Rikku paused again to think and then shook her head, "I've never been very good at stopping to think first. I'm not gonna start now." And with that, she called out, "Help! The Praetor is dead!"  
  
Baralai just sighed at her, reaching to grab the staff long left neglected next to the wardrobe. The guards acted in predictable fashion, simply stepping up to the door and opening it, machina guns drawn in case of trouble. Baralai stood to one side, and Rikku to the other. She could hear their footfalls getting closer, heartbeat in her ears getting louder in anticipation and a rush of adrenaline.  
  
"What's going on in he--" that was the most the first one could get out before he ended up conked over the head with one of Rikku's weapons. The other managed to actually lift the gun and aim it toward her before Baralai's staff came crashing down on him with the same effect. They slumped onto the ground, one draped across the other.   
  
"That was too easy," Rikku giggled with a little wriggle of her hips. 

Baralai chuckled at her, and then stepped over the bodies into the parlor. "I suppose they'll be waking up later with some nasty headaches. But we shouldn't dally, Let's go."

With Rialdo having taken the guards outside the parlor with him, the hallway was free and clear for the pair to escape into the twisted maze of the temple's corridors. Baralai knew his way clearly, leading Rikku along until she knew she was utterly lost. If they were separated, there was no way she would ever be able to get back out. She fretted over this quietly, making an occasional squeak as he turned down yet another corridor that looked exactly the same as all the others. Only a slight downward slope indicated they were heading in any direction. 

Eventually, Baralai turned toward her, "Here." Taking her hand, he settled something cool into her palm and when she looked, she saw a silver bracelet there with some kind of symbolic Yevonite charm. "Where we're going, you're going to need this."

"Wait, where are we going?"

Baralai smiled at her ruefully, "The only place we can for now, into the depths of the temple."

Rikku whimpered at him, quickly pulling the bracelet onto her wrist, "But... haven't you been emptying it out?" It sounded half like a plea and half like a question. She'd been in the depths of the Bevelle temple too many times for her comfort and going back down into them hardly thrilled her.

"I had been, but it's a long process. And Rialdo has had two months to undo all my work. It'll be all right, Rikku. Never take that off, though."

"Well, what about you?" she asked. She couldn't see his wrists, but surely he had his own bracelet, the same as hers. 

He just smiled at her cryptically, "Don't you worry about me, Rikku. I'll be fine." Then he turned before she could say another word, leading her into corridors long ago forgotten.


	7. The Hunted

Author's Note: Mind you, many of the info presented in this chapter and in the chapters to follow are definitely not canon. (At least I saw nothing in the game that explained these things.) I'm just spinning theories. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would disagree with me. ;) That's just fine, but this is my version of events.  
  
Chapter 6: The Hunted

Rikku had no fond memories of the moving floors beneath the temple proper in Bevelle. Walking it always made her dizzy and the paths themselves went in so many different directions and she found herself relying on Baralai's confident stride to find the way through the vast twists and turns. She had been there before, but there was certainly no enjoyment or nostalgic memories in returning. Yuna and Paine had an easier time making sense of it all and Rikku wanted nothing more than to put it behind her again. 

Baralai knew his way around perfectly and his pace kept Rikku on her toes. His path took her in places she was fairly certain she'd never seen before which looped back through areas she remembered more distinctly. They had to avoid anywhere Traditionalists might be wandering and get as far as they could while the Praetor's absence was undiscovered. It would be far more difficult after Rialdo realized Baralai was gone.

Rikku quickly discovered why Baralai gave her the charm bracelet. The depths of the temple were still populated by fiends of all shapes and sizes. She wanted to leap right out of her skin at the first one they encountered, her weapons drawn and battle stance begun before she even realized the creature wasn't paying her any mind. She frowned at it when it finally dawned on her and then looked toward Baralai to find him smiling.

"I told you, keep that on down here at all times, Rikku," he said. "And no fiend will harm you."

"So why couldn't you just tell me that, huh?" she asked. 

To that, he chuckled softly and relented with a quiet, "Touche. It's not easy giving up on keeping secrets."

She eyeballed him with a frown after that, "Well, what else are you hiding from me, huh?"

Baralai fell quiet at the accusation in her voice, the smile melting away to an expression more rueful and even ashamed. "Rikku, everyone has secrets. I'm sure you have your own, things that you'd rather others never find out. Sometimes it's best to leave locked doors shut."

Rikku stopped nettling him about it after that. Part of her felt guilty for pressing him about it, though it bothered her that he'd felt no need to at least tell her what the bracelet was for. She could have figured it out, she supposed, he did hint at her heavily. But that wasn't how Rikku was raised. You spoke your mind among the Al Bhed. Secrets and innuendo were an alien concept. 

The silence permeated their journey through the walkways of the temple and didn't break until they were well into the depths below the Chamber of the Fayth. Where everything split into a hundred different paths filled with so many twists and turns that just thinking about it made Rikku's head hurt again. Finally she just couldn't take the silence anymore. "Baralai... how did you learn your way around here so well?"

"I had two years," he replied. "I spent quite a bit of that time exploring these depths. Bevelle is a large city, and much of the underground is connected to the temple. Over a thousand years of projects, creations, machina. Some of it is complete and simply sitting dormant, forgotten. Others were never quite started, or only half finished." 

"Two years is a short amount of time to get to know over a thousand years of stuff." 

He chuckled at her again, "Very astute of you. Truth is, I spent some of my formative years here, at the temple. My father was a priest of Yevon. He wanted me to follow in his footsteps."

"So is that why you entered the Crimson Squad?" This was a rare opportunity to ask some of the things she'd been dying to know for a long time. "I mean, if that's not a door I should be opening."

"Somehow, I think that if it were locked, Rikku, you'd just pick it."

She giggled, mostly because it was true. "So tell me, then. I'm picking!"

"Fine, but let's make sure we keep the pace at least. We must not forget that Rialdo leave no stone unturned when he discovers that I am gone."

For that kind of promise, Rikku would have gladly started jogging. She wasn't going to complain about the brisk walk, though. 

"I joined the Crimson Squad at my father's request," he continued, "He thought it was an excellent opportunity for me, and had high hopes that I might achieve some end there." 

"He must not have known what was going to happen then," Rikku said. She understood just how much Yevon hid not only from the people of Spira, but even from its own members. The story saddened her, the more she thought about it. That Baralai's own father had such high hopes dashed because of Yevonite machinations. Baralai said nothing more on the subject, though. He looked at her from over his shoulder, face half buried in his collar. The sadness in his eyes silenced her, and she swallowed any other questions there were to ask.

So she spent the next few minutes thinking of something, anything, cheerful to comment on. Baralai never slowed, and the corridors remained as confusing as ever. Rikku knew they'd bypassed the chamber where Vegnagun had once rested. She couldn't help but think of Via Infinito. It wasn't quite the same, there were fewer fiends to run into and no jumping to get to the lower cloisters, but the reminder still made her long to be outside again, or in the safety of the Celsius. 

"Where exactly are we?" she finally asked.

"These are the corridors that priests and subordinates once used to access Via Infinito. To make repairs when necessary."

Rikku never considered there was an alternate way to access the confusing maze of cloisters and corridors. "Yuna's gonna freak when she hears about this. Hey... what exactly was Via used for anyway?"

Baralai grimaced when she asked that, probably because it was yet another locked door she was picking at. "Via Infinito was used as a test for Maesters once upon a time. It was a practice that eventually became archaic and fell into disuse. Mostly. I know that Maester Kinoc was sent through here, as was Maester Seymour's father and many others before them."

"But... they all... were unsent..." Rikku trailed off. The more she thought about it, the more it disturbed her. Baralai didn't have to reply to her, either. It made sense, in a perverse way, considering they kept seeing the Maesters in those depths.

Baralai had kept the pace for so long that when he suddenly paused, Rikku nearly ran into him. "Huh? Why are we stop--" He cut her off by turning around abruptly and setting a finger against her lips. But his eyes weren't on her, he was glancing elsewhere, all around. Only then did she finally hear it. A low hum that eventually turned into a chant with words she couldn't recognize. It was just quiet enough that she would never have noticed it had Baralai not stopped and quieted her. Reaching up, she pulled his hand away from her mouth and whispered, "What is that?"

"They must have realized I'm gone," he murmured, "We must hurry." He reached for her wrist, for the charm bracelet that he'd given her earlier. "And you may as well take this off now, it'll be useless. So please be cautious from now on. Rialdo is changing the game board." 

He gave her no time to remove it, though, keeping a hold of her hand afterwards to pull her along after him. They weren't walking anymore, either, Rikku struggling to keep up with Baralai's quickened steps. It was fear that gave her the impetus to keep going, even as her lungs started burning and her legs demanded she stop for just a moment. Fear of the unknown, and of the fiends that would no longer ignore her. The path sloped further downward and then broke into a group of floating stone panels above a sea of smoky gray wisps. 

Here Baralai suddenly came to a stop, letting go of Rikku's hand. "This... this is different." And if Baralai no longer knew where he was going, that spelled trouble. 

"Of course it's different, Praetor." Rialdo's voice sent chills down Rikku's spine. "We had a change in plans, you see. A different direction than the one that you intended." The sound of machina guns cocking echoed around them. The walls on either side of them fell away to reveal Rialdo and Kellock standing beside each other, a host of New Yevonite guards in front of them, their weaponry aimed at Rikku and Baralai.

"I would so hate to have to kill the girl, Baralai," Rialdo said, tone smug, "So put down your weapons and let us put an end to this ridiculous chase."

To Rikku's surprise, he dropped his staff almost immediately, lowering his head and bowing to Rialdo. "So long as you bring no harm to this woman, I will go quietly."

"Hey! I can take care of mys--" Again Rikku found herself cut off, though this time only by the look on Baralai's face as he straightened and glanced at her again. His expression spoke for him, begging her to be quiet, for fear she'd really get hurt this time.

"Rikku," he murmured, "You are very valiant and brave of heart. I ask only one thing of you: Survive."

She had no time or opportunity to answer him, not as the guards came up behind them, pulling her arms behind her and dragging her away. 


	8. Isaaru's Plan

Isaaru had finally found his place in the world.

The time of the Summoners had passed, with Yuna having brought the Eternal Calm, and it cast a shadow over Isaaru's future. Suddenly there was no goal in his life, nothing to strive for. His name was forgotten and the religion he served suddenly villified and him with it. He had been used, he knew, for more nefarious ends. The shame of it would weigh his heart for a long time to come, even with Yuna's forgiveness. Even as the rest of the world moved on without him.

Maroda and Pacce were all he had to cling to in those dark times. But even they couldn't bear his constant mantle of shame and Isaaru had to make a choice. Cid's proposal for Zanarkand seemed enthralling, and it was a chance to see the city he once made his pilgrimage toward. Yet even as he gave out daily tours and tried so hard to believe in his work, it turned to ashes in his mouth at the end of every day. That such a sacred place could be so violated and he only added to the problem.

But it was something as opposed to nothing. Maroda left in disgust, taking Pacce with him, but Isaaru held on dearly. Soon it became all he had, and he deluded himself into believing that he was somehow doing visitors a service. To show them Spira's history.

Thankfully Yuna changed all that, again. Swept in the winds of change and again Isaaru found himself alone, standing over the ruins of a city dead a thousand years. Perhaps that was his calling, to guard the city when no one else would and watch it slowly fade away, forgotten. Just as he had been. Was that to be his end? Would there be nothing else for him? He had expected to die to bring Spira another Calm, and instead lived in limbo.

His calling came from the very same woman who had thrown him into obscurity. Just a passing remark from her regarding the situation in Bevelle. It was enough to light the fuel of Isaaru's passions and eventually lead to the trek back home, to the city where he first learned of Summoners and Yevon and became enthralled with the idea of a pilgrimage. Maroda was there, as was Pacce, and both of them welcomed him back, out of the hole he'd dug for himself and into something far more important: securing the city in the absense of the Praetor.

Perhaps it was because he had been a Summoner. Or perhaps he had some hidden qualities inside of him that he'd never tapped before, but the city settled under his direction. Eventually Baralai returned, weary in both body and soul but still determined to pick up the mantle he'd been forced to abandon. Isaaru could only quietly watch from afar as the Praetor easily slid back into his role, polite and calm in the face of issues so hot Isaaru was sure he would not have been able to keep his cool under the same circumstances.

In a way, he admired Baralai for that. And like others, he found himself drawn in under the Praetor's banner. This time, however, he was not doomed to obscurity as he had been in the past. Baralai saw something in him, and appointed him a position in the upper echelons of the New Yevonites. It put him in direct contact with Baralai often, and after awhile they even became friends. He saw sides that most people never would. When Baralai was stressed, when he was angry, when he was weary and even when he was sick. It was a relationship built on trust, the two of them against the rest of the world sometimes.

Maroda often suspected it was something more than that, finding occasion to question Isaaru about the extent of it. Isaaru denied it. Quietly at first and with growing fervor. He wrapped denial around himself so tightly that he began watching how he interacted with Baralai, how much time they spent together. It became a sort of dance between them. Just as everything else in Bevelle was, one merry jig that had to be danced lest someone tie strings to you and make you keep up.

It didn't alarm him to hear that Baralai was ill, at first. Word arrived from another priest knocking at his door. It wasn't something that happened often, but with all the stress regarding the clearing of the areas below Bevelle and the resistance of the Traditionalists, it was bound to eventually take physical tolls on the Praetor. Isaaru asked if he'd had dinner taken to him yet and then made plans to do so himself. Sometimes all Baralai needed was someone to talk to for awhile, and a few days to sleep and gather his strength. Then his malady would lift and life would go on.

Arriving at the doors to the Praetor's suite, however, he found himself barred from going further by the very same Traditionalists Isaaru knew had been a thorn in Baralai's side for months. "What is the meaning of this?"

"By orders of Consul Rialdo, no one is to see the Praetor right now until a physician is summoned. I'm sorry, Consul Isaaru."

"Consul Rialdo?" he balked. Last he knew, Rialdo held no such position, nor did it seem right that Baralai would have given it to him so abruptly. "Step aside this instant. I will not be barred from seeing the Praetor without some kind of proof of what you say."

"I can give that to you," Rialdo himself spoke from behind.

Isaaru whirled around, both in surprise and anger a hand lifted and lips parting to give the half-ronso a peice of his mind. Instead, a sheet of parchment was settled into the upraised hand. Brows furrowed, Isaaru glanced down over the writing, finding at the tail end a signature he recognized to be Baralai's handwriting. Or a very clever copy of it at least. "What is this?"

"It is our Praetor's own hand, giving me temporary Consulship and the right to speak in his name. Until that time that he is well enough to resume his duties. You can have it analyzed all you wish, Consul Isaaru. It is no forgery. Are you bold enough to dispute him?"

Isaaru's frown deepened and he resisted the urge to crumple the parchment in his hands. For the moment, Rialdo held the upper hand, but he knew it was wrong, all of it. "Very well. Consul Rialdo. But surely you will not barr another Consul from seeing the Praetor."

"On the contrary," Rialdo purred, "I would see to it that his illness is not spread through the temple. For your own safety, Isaaru, I cannot allow you inside."

"I see," Isaaru replied tersely. It was a standoff he knew he wouldn't be able to win. If Rialdo had proof of Baralai's signature, there was little he could do. "Very well."

Their parting was tense, bowing only briefly in the traditional fashion of Bevelle. Isaaru retreated at his own pace, while inside he felt nothing but rage building. Rialdo was up to something, and he was using Baralai in his schemes somehow. And there was always the possibility that he'd been assassinated.

No matter the theory, Isaaru knew that he was better off falling back. Rialdo had only just hatched this scheme, and perhaps there were chinks in it that he had not the time to close yet. He had to find and exploit them, quickly.

Time passed and Isaaru struggled to find a way to get to Baralai. Rialdo expertedly parried all his attempts both physical and political. Somehow he figured each move ahead of time, and had plans at the ready to deal with Isaaru and those still loyal to the Praetor's original ideals. The Traditionalists grew in popularity and within a few short months Rialdo's power grew to the point that Isaaru knew he would eventually be ousted. Darkness, it seemed, would descend over Bevelle once more.

Then along came Rikku. Beautiful, brash, wonderful Rikku. Isaaru could have kissed her as she boldly stood up to the half-ronso in the temple's main hall. Her timing couldn't have been more perfect. Together with Maroda and Pacce, a scheme was hatched. Doubtlessly risky, if they gambled and lost then he knew his life would be forfeit. But, if it succeeded...

"They're coming now to arrest you," Maroda said as he entered his brother's quarters.

"Are you sure you're up for this?" Isaaru already knew the answer, yet his worry could not be contained.

Maroda smiled at him, quickly slipping into the traditional trappings of his brother and reaching for the wig they'd prepared earlier. "Just find a way to help the Praetor, Isaaru. Bevelle is counting on you."

With that, Isaaru slipped into a secret corridor behind his wardrobe. Just as Maroda, disguised now as his brother, turned to face the New Yevonite guards entering the chamber.


End file.
